Keri Lynn Ford

I flew back from Sacramento on Sunday and I was eager to get back into the gym with new workouts. My abs are still sore from the 300+ leg lifts we did that day! Coach even decided at one point that I was making it look too easy so he should add some resistance by pushing against my legs with each lift. However, for most of this week I was confined to either the bed or the couch with a three-day migraine.

Aside from my migraine (that has subsided today FINALLY), I had a great week! Sarah Lyons of PictureGroove had submitted my image from our Palm Springs photoshoot to the WBFF Fit & Firm Magazine, in addition to a double-page ad where my image was designed into the layout next to Monica Brant! I was so excited to see it published this month, along with an article I submitted back in January about how I began my pursuit of fitness... leaving me gracing 8 pages this month! This article is probably my favorite piece that I have ever written.

Fit & Firm Magazine, Issue XVIII, Feb 2012. "Firecracker Ford: What Sparked My Fitness Career" (p. 80)

Fit & Firm Magazine, Issue XVIII, Feb 2012. "Step Up Your Theme Wear" article by Sarah Lyons of PictureGroove (p. 62)

Next weekend I will be at the P28 Bread Booth at the Natural Products Expo West on Friday, March 9th - Sunday March, 11th at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA. The Expo West hosts over 58,000 industry members and over 3,000 exhibits showcasing products in the categories of natural and specialty foods, organic, supplements, health and beauty, natural living and pet products. I LOVE the energy of the show and discovering new industry products before they have even hit the store shelves. Come visit and take a picture with me if you plan on attending.

xoxo, Keri 

P.S. Have you watched my latest transformation video? 12 weeks and counting to the WBFF stage! Get ready...

12 Weeks Out.

I can't believe almost an entire week has gone by since I've posted! Last Friday through Sunday Coach put me back on my "crazy" diet with equally crazy double cardio (again, NOT recommended for you to do). The plan was to stick to this diet coupled with the cardio for three days followed by one day of rest. By Saturday I could barely make it through the cardio (5 minutes of jogging with thirty seconds of sprinting until I burned off all assigned calories and then a short evening jog) and I literally pushed myself to my breaking point. This included running while crying. LOL. My husband, who was the only one in the gym with me, looked at me baffled and confused. Not only does running make both of my knees ache, but I am also having pain from a bone spur in the arch of my right foot. With one knee wrapped with an ACE bandage, one foot covered in bandaids from blisters, the other in terrible pain and my heart rate strapped to my chest, I felt like I had just been through a war. My body was starting to feel a bit broken.

However, I am the kind of person where enough is never enough, so I continued to push myself until I was about three-quarters of the way through my cardio until I had to let out a good cry in the bathroom. I also might mention that being carb depleted also makes you a bit emotional/bonkers/insane/foggy/all of the above. I was frustrated and angry at how hard I seemingly need to work in order to achieve my goals. I was equally as frustrated with my body was refusing to keep up with me.

I thrive on tough love and I am meticulous to a fault. I compete against myself always setting the bar higher. In my opinion this mentality has allowed me success in multiple areas of my life, but it has also left me feeling unsatisfied with my acheived goals seeming anti-climatic. Sometimes I lose sight of how far I've come and I am looking to the future so often that I forget to acknowledge the present. This is especially hard when your goals are measured in weekly countdowns to shows or photo shoots. In the blink of an eye, months have gone by.

I found this shirt online. The saying is quite true :)

After my meltdown, I took Sunday off. This weekend I will be heading up to Sacramento with my husband for some training. I want my body to reflect the work, both in the kitchen and gym, that I have been putting in. Though my body is progressing a bit slower than I would like, it is still progressing. I am currently enjoying the addition of oatmeal back into my diet every other day, blueberries and beef. It's like Christmas! Did I mention I still have 12 weeks to go? Better get ready Kansas City because what doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger. 

I am curious, have you had moments like this?

xoxo
K 

Yesterday I popped out of bed with my head already buzzing with to do lists. I was grateful for my rest day because the way I tore up the gym this week was no joke. Every set I pushed to lift a little heavier. Every rep I lifted to completion. Every time I felt pain I reminded myself that THIS is what it takes.

On Monday my diet changed too which is making me feel a little more sane. I also have more energy because the calories are higher. I still miss the love of my life (aka oatmeal) though. I just LOVE oatmeal. I'll be excited when I can have that and some fruit again, haha! Oh, the little things. However, I am enjoying several new additions to my diet including avocado, egg yolks and brussel sprouts.

Yesterday I spent a good part of the day preparing, measuring and packing all of my specific meals and supplements for the weekend. My husband and I are going to Mammoth with a group of friends this weekend. While I am not a huge fan of skiing (mainly because I am not very good at it), I know it will be a fun escape... as long as no one starts helping themselves to my precious weighed food in the fridge :) What are your plans for this weekend?

Pretty much how I spend my entire time skiing. lol

Today was check in day for me and although I have not had any weightloss this week, my body feels and looks different almost daily. Having said that, I get antsy that my body is not progressing fast enough. I just try to stay positive and have faith that my body will just keep changing little by little and come together as the weeks dwindle down. I have less than 14 weeks until my WBFF Kansas City show!

In other news, not only am I a sponsored athlete with GEO and Eggology.. for the past year I have been working on the design and brand development of Eggology's International relaunch! You will see these new labels on Eggology products in Whole Foods nationally. What do you guys think?

xoxo
Keri 

A few months ago I received an email from a woman named Tricia who said she wanted to interview me about my life as a Fitness Model and GEO Sponsored Fitness Competitor. A little skeptical, I agreed to do an in-person interview with her at a local Starbucks during one of my head-spinning-busiest-weeks-ever and I am so glad I made the time to meet with her! Thank you, Tricia, for your interest in interviewing me!

You can read her recap on her first impressions of me, find out what it's really like to take my Ignite group fitness class and see what my 2012 goals are with the WBFF (World Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation) on her website at: triciaanne.com/

Tricia Anne is a Communications graduate from Radford University who is a Public Relations Professional and Extreme Sports and Fitness Blogger.

Well, this weekend was pretty rough. I am exhausted and I'm having one of those "why am I doing this again?" kind of days. On Saturday I "cheated" and ate two bowls of oatmeal (see what happens when we ration out oatmeal?!), one egg yolk, strawberries, Corn Thins (rice cakes) and a bite of a protein cookie. Ok, ok. I know these are normal foods, but not all of these are in my diet plan at the moment. I just finished doing a crazy three-week fat-burning diet that made me drop a few stubborn pounds and I am down to 115lb - woohoo!

Starting Friday I had that familiar tight feeling in my throat.. you know, the one where you are feeling burned out on the edge of exhaustion and you can feel your body fighting off something? I was supposed to go to the gym to do cardio this weekend, but after teaching two bootcamps and a headache I just couldn't muster up the energy. I even ended up taking a nap on Saturday afternoon which I never do! Part of me wants to say, suck it up and soldier on... this is what it is supposed to feel like!!! And the other part of me wonders, "when is it ok to listen to your body?" At the end of the day, I know my body best and I opted to listen to it. I would like to think I know the difference between "soldiering on" and when my body truly needs a day to recharge. I also know that I hadn't had a rest day in over a week.

On a positive note, I went shopping with my cousin on Friday and bought the hottest pair of SIZE 25, blue pants. I hate the shoes they have pictured here, but how hot are these pants?!

Did you all watch the Superbowl? I was routing for the Giants and I am so happy they won! What a game.. literally until the last second! Now I am off to the GYM and the grocery store to stock up on foods for the next phase of my diet.

xoxo
Keri